Has Alien vs. Predator (2004) aged all that well?

[SM]

I never noticed the flaps.

Imagine someone trying to do a Monet or Picasso recreation and deciding to "improve" it.

Then again you can argue why does it have to be a direct copy? I can see that to a point, but if I'm making a movie and the tiger is the creature, do I suddenly start changing the skull structure and other anatomy in the sequel?  I can definitely get behind "some" change, but this his been pretty off the rails difference since Aliens. Those are at least great designs in their own right.

I don't recall the in-universe explanation for the warriors in Aliens. Was it maturity?

For fan theory, maybe there are other traits lingering from other infestations in the genetic history of the queen that laid the eggs. Or maybe there were multiple queens from different hosts and one type infected Kane and another type infected Russ.  Or there is just some small measure of natural variation.

ADI made tweaks to Resurrection in line with JPJs request. I think they may have re-used the design on AvP to save money.

On Aliens again it was a design choice. Cameron liked it better sans cowl. He didn't give the in-universe reason much thought. "Mutation or new generation" is what he went with at the time. He later agreed with a fan who said it might be due to age.

[The Cruentus]

Yes. I will continue to bash ADI. Its not "bashing" when you're calling out unnecessary changes and generic design choices. I haven't looked too deep, and it might just be me, but the heads on the aliens look off somehow to me. Did they shorten them and change the curvature?  I've noticed it in other media and didn't like it, but now it seems it odd in the film.

ADI wasn't in charge though, it is the higher ups who dictate on what they want the creatures to look like. In this case, I think they reused A:R stuff due to budget limitations or something.

I think for me, the biggest crime is the face huggers in AvP that look like they bought a Kenner Alien Resurrection toy, strapped it (loosely) to someone's head, poured a whole jar of KY jelly over it, and were like "that'll do".

Yeah they were terrible. Design was the same other than colouring but the 'performance' was appalling.

The 'breathing flap' things were just hanging off. 🫤

In fairness, those people who were facehugged were in vertical positions, So gravity kind of does its thing to those flaps. In previous films, the victims were on the floor on their back.
In the shot where the maiden gets hugged, the flaps are leaning down like normal (I think)

As for the loosely gripped thing. I think that is true from what I remember but even the facehugger on Kane had gaps where the legs were not touching the skull. The legs being jointed means they would not have complete contact on the host.

[SiL]

It's not about gaps so much as it doesn't look like they're holding on at all. There's nothing selling the idea that these things have a tight grip on people's heads.

[TheBATMAN]

ADI wasn't in charge though, it is the higher ups who dictate on what they want the creatures to look like. In this case, I think they reused A:R stuff due to budget limitations or something.

I dont fully buy that to be honest. I get the directors might dictate some of the bigger changes like the lack of biomechanics and such like, but I cant believe the likes of JPJ would purposefully want the Alien's entire jaw and teeth be redesigned to be... less good shall we say. Tom Woodruff even says in the Res doc that it was their idea to redesign the tail for example because they believed it would help the Alien propel itself better underwater.

In AVPR they at least changed the neck from mangled mutant to something more resembling biomechanical, but the heads still looked poor.
 

[SM]

The director gives them an idea or they take inspiration from the script, they draw up concepts and present them and the director chooses the ones he likes.  JPJ wanted more of a cockroach vibe.  ADI provided.

It's not about gaps so much as it doesn't look like they're holding on at all. There's nothing selling the idea that these things have a tight grip on people's heads.

The way to remove facehuggers now is to sneeze.

The hosts being semi-conscious while being hugged didn't really fit either.

[SiL]

Yeah the mouths and tails are approved by the director before the final suits are made. It's not like ADI snuck a fan on the tail and JPJ just threw his hands up on set exclaiming "Sacre bleu, mes mains are tied! I 'ave to live with this now!"

[SM]

Due to constant budget cuts, there was probably lots of things 'e, 'ow you say, 'ad to live with. Don't think that was one though.

[SiL]

It was on the approved maquettes long before they made the full size suits.

And he had his fair share of odd ideas like making the back tubes animated.

[SM]

The only time they 'animate' is when the suit looks like it's falling apart when the Alien submerges before leaping out of the water onto the ladder.

[SiL]

In the movie, sure, but ADI built articulation into them and screen tested it.

People love to rag on ADI but they always seem to neglect the fact some directors have ideas that maybe aren't very popular with the audience (not saying this is one of them necessarily, but it's a weird idea and I'm glad they left it out).

[SM]

Yeah I've seen the behind the scenes stuff.  Maybe it was to go with the Aliens secreting hive resin from them in one of the drafts.

[SiL]

Maybe it was to go with the Aliens secreting hive resin from them in one of the drafts.

ADI said it was just to give the Aliens more "life". I think we would've seen it most in the cages.

Also while checking for the shot you were referencing it reminded me how hilariously little Alien action there is in the movie.

[SM]

In terms of suit work you mean?  Never really thought about it, but it's almost all in the cage, plus the corridor with Elgyn and the odd close up here and there.  They intended to do a lot more underwater stuff but I don't think it was practical.  Would've been murder in that thing underwater.  I think there's one shot of the head of the suit underwater, with a close up of a hand grabbing Hillard's leg and then a blurred shot of her being dragged away.

[SiL]

Just in general. It's like we see less of them after they escape than before.

[SM]

It's a problem for whole second half. Too much standing around having a chat instead getting attacked.